"In the late 1940s and early 1950s the great anthropological photographer John Collier Jr. made nearly one thousand photographs documenting Navajo life in Fruitland, New Mexico, near the Four Corners. Lost until recently in archives far from the Southwest, most of these photos have never before been published. The authors of this book have assembled a selection of Collier's Navajo photographs showing the changes in post-World War II reservation life."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"Our God Tscorenci was our Father and created the sun, which is like a mirror. He sees us from up on high and makes photographs of our reflection. When we die the photograph disappears. Many have been lost." --Kenchori, an Asháninka from Peruvian Amazonia, when asked to tell a story concerning cameras (From W. Baker, Backward: An Essay on Indians, Time, and Photography). Historically photographs say less about the Navajo than about photographers of Navajos. In Navajo and Photography James Faris calls attention to the inability of photographs of Navajo by non-Navajo to communicate either the lived experiences of native people or their history. Beginning with the earliest photographs of Navajos in captivity at Bosque Redondo and including the most recent glossy picture books and calendars, Faris's survey points out assumptions that have always governed photographic representation of the Navajo people. Full of the work of photographers such as Edward S. Curtis and Laura Gilpin, as well as photographs by many less-well known figures, readers will find Navajo and Photography an enlightening juxtaposition of cultures.

During World War II, as the Japanese were breaking American codes as quickly as they could be devised, a small group of Navajo Marines provided their country with its only totally secure cryptography. The photographer has recorded them as they are today, recalling their youth.

Learn how to capture the awe-inspiring mystique that imbues this place. Indian Country, the region where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet, offers an immense wild landscape full of unequaled photographic opportunities. In the land inhabited for millennia by the Hopi, Navajo, Pápago, and Apache, guided by an author long familiar with the region, you can capture the awe-inspiring mystique which dwells here. This guide offers beginners and professionals alike key information on how to take the best shots; detailed maps; the best time of day to photograph different spots; and expert advice on equipment and technique to ensure that you will have a memorable portfolio.

Each of the eight chapters takes a period of up to forty years and examines the medium through the lenses of art, science, social science, travel, war, fashion, the mass media and individual practitioners.-Back Cover.

Celinda McKelvey, a Navajo girl, participates in the Kinaalda, the traditional coming-of-age ceremony of her people.

The most complete and current history of the largest American Indian nation in the U.S., based on extensive new archival research, traditional histories, interviews, and personal observation.

Richly illustrated with over 100 images, this volume explores the role of photography in raising historical consciousness from a variety of geographic, cultural, and historical perspectives. 128 photos.

Navajo blankets, rugs, and tapestries are the best-known, most-admired, and most-collected textiles in North America. There are scores of books about Navajo weaving, but no other book like this one. For the first time, master Navajo weavers themselves share the deep, inside story of how these textiles are created, and how their creation resonates in Navajo culture. Want to weave a high-quality, Navajo-style rug? This book has detailed how-to instructions, meticulously illustrated by a Navajo artist, from warping the loom to important finishing touches. Want to understand the deeper meaning? You'll learn why the fixed parts of the loom are male, and the working parts are female. You'll learn how weaving relates to the earth, the sky, and the sacred directions. You'll learn how the Navajo people were given their weaving tradition (and it wasn't borrowed from the Pueblos!), and how important a weaver's attitude and spirit are to creating successful rugs. You'll learn what it means to live in hózhó, the Beauty Way. Family stories from seven generations of weavers lend charm and special insights. Characteristic Native American humor is not in short supply. Their contribution to cultural understanding and the preservation of their craft is priceless.